Trolley-conductor extension



D. C. HERSHBERGER TROLLEY CONDUCTOR EXTENSION Jan. 29, 1929. 1,700,586

Filed April 6, 1927 Fig- I. 30

WITNESSES: INVENTOR Dal/ii C. Hers/7b erger:

35 drawing in which,

' "extensionpand; V

Patented Jan. 29, 192 9.

NETE

DAVID c. HERSHBERGER, or TURTLECREEK, PENNsYLvANIA;-AssIeNonro wEsTIivenousn ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A- CORPORATION or PENNSYL if @VANIAL mnoLLEY-connUcTon nxrnnsroni A man filed April e, 1927, sea; in. 181,362. a

This invention ielates" generally tc trolley-v conductor-extensions for supplyi-ng power to electrically propelled? vehicles.

.The ob'ecti of-the extension that shall besimple and efiicient in operation andreadily and economically manufactured.

A.more specific object of the invention is m-to provide 'forv thesupply of' electrical vide for the automatic attachment of a reeled cable conductor carried by an electrically propelled vehicle to-atrolleyconductor whenthe wvehicle moves beyond the terminus of the "trolley conductor. v i V I I h i n Other Objects: of'the invention will, in part,

7 1 be obvious, andwill,in part, appear -herein-' after. 1

- The inventiomaccordingly, as'discles edlin" the embodiment thereof shown-in the accom 5 panying drawing, comprises the structural features, thecombination of elements and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the structure hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which w ll be indicatedin the claims.

For a fuller understandingof the nature and objects of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description,

5 takenin conjunction withtheaccompanying Fig. 1 is a view, in sideelevation, of an electrica-lly propelled vehicle, provided w1th a trolley-conductor: extension constructed 1n accordance with this invention,

i Fig. 3 is a side elevationalview of a hookv constituting a part of the trolley-conductor Fig. Ais a topplan view of the ho'olr shown inFig. 3. I I i. Referring now to the draw ngs, 10 'desig- I i u invention, generally 5 stated, is-the provisionofa trolley-conductor ig. 2;1 s a view, in side elevation, of an electrically propelled vehicle provided with a.

nates a section of the roofof a car barm'or the like, "wherefelectricallypropelledivehiclesl may be stored. Asis well known, it i's'often inadvisable to extend uninsulated trolley con ductors into such buildings; Consequently,

some'provision must be made'for supplying power to a vehi'cle when it ismoved into the barn and beyond the terminus of the trolley f 'conductor 11 M i,

In this particular construction, a cablecon 1 ductor12, which is wound ona power-oper ated reel 13, is 'provided for supplying power to the electrically propelled vehicle 14 when it is in azone where there is no trolley con ductor. r Since power-operated, reels are well known 1n the art, it is deemed unnecessary to give a detailed description of the reellS.

Asshown, a cable guidelois mounted on the top of the vehicle 1 1; for supportingflthe end of the cable conductor 12 in 'apredet'er 1 mined position. It will be observed thatithe guide includes a plurality. of sheaves 16 and 1 17, rotatably'mounted in a frame.18.-In or f 1 der to insulate the frame '18 from the vehicle, .a plate 19 of insulatingm'aterial, having -an' I opening 20 therein for 'the cable, is provided. The. plate 19' is mounted between the frame 18 and the roof of the vehicle.

The cable conductor 12 may be of any flex; ible insulated type'commonly provided vwith; mine locomotives, Electrically connected to the end of the cable 12 is ahemispherical head 21 made from some conducting materiall While a hemispherical head is illustrated in i this particular embodiment of the invention,

it will be readily understood that heads presentin contact faces 22 having other curvatures maybe utilized.

In order to support the head 21 in a pf ed;

termined position, afoot 23, adapted to stand on the sheaves 16 and 17, is provided on the.

cable 12 and spaced from the head 21.; A'

material and is'electrically connected toyth cable conductor 12.

VAs will be observed 1 23" is Q 7 stantially cone shape. In the preferred form illustrated, the wall of the foot is curved to conform to the curvature of the sheaves.

When such a trolley-conductor extension is provided, it is desirable to provide some means for automatically establishing connection between it and the trolley conductor 11 I asthe electrically propelled vehicle passes beyond the terminus of the'la-tter. In this i necting the conductors 11 and 12 comprises construction, the means provided for cona bifurcated hook 25 suspended from the barn roof 10 at a point adjacent the-entrance. As shown, the hook 25 is attached to the block 26 "bybolts'27 and,'sinceithe block 26 is made fromrso me insulating material, the hook is therebyinsulated from the ground.

As showni Figs. 3 and 4, thehook 25 comprises avertical section ,28 and a horizontal" section 29." The vertical section 28 is utilized for attaching the hook to the block 26; The horizontal section 29 is'bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 4, to provide prongs for receiving'the standing end'of the cable 12.- It will be readily understoodthat the hook may be disposed in 'any desired position to engage the cable 12 as the vehicle passes into the barn.

The trolley conductor 11 is electrically connected to the hook any suitable manner. As shown, a"terminal"30, which is provided on the endof the trolley conductor, is pressed into engagement with the hook 25 bymeans I of one of the bolts27.

Assuming that an'electrically propelled vehicle, provided with a trolley conductor extension, is driven into a barn,'when the.

forward end of the vehicle enters the barn andbefore the trolley pole 31 reaches the ,end of the trolley conductor .11, the head 21 on the cable 12 is engaged by the hook 25.,

and current. issuppli'ed to the motors of the vehicle in any well known manner through the cable12. As the vehicle moves into the ba'rn, the cable conductor 12 is unreele'd.

When the vehicle is backed out of thebarn, the power-operated reel 13 functions to take up the slack in the cable conductor 12. Further, when the car reaches a predetermined pQiIlt, the head 21' is withdrawn from the Therefore, a trolley-conductor extension that may be automatically"connected when the electrically propelled vehicle moves beyond the terminus of the trolley conductor and disconnected when the vehicle moves within the zone of the trolley conductorpis provided. Thus, provision is made for operating electrically-propelled vehicles in localitieswhere trolleys or other power lines cannot'conveniently .be' erected.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction, and different ,e1nbod1-- ments'of the'inventlon may be made wlthout departing from the. spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as il lustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention 1.-A power-supply device for electrically propelled vehicles comprising, incombination, a power source, a hookelectrically connected to the power source and apcableo cone ductorcarried by the vehicle, said conductor being disposed for engagement by the hook when the "vehicle is moved under it.

i 2. A power-delivery deyice for electrically connected to the trolley conductor, a cable conductor carried byithe vehicle and means for supporting the cable conduetor'in ,posi

tion tobe engaged by the'hook when the vehi ly propelled vehicles comprising, in combi nation, a trolley conductor, a hookelectrical V cle moves b eyond the'terminus of the trolley conductor. 7 V

3, power-delivery device for-electrically propelled Vehicles com'prising,-in' combina{ tion, a trolley conductor, a hook disposed at. the end of th'e ,trolleycondu'ctor, said hook and trolley conductor being electrically connected,'and a reeled cable conductor.

' carried by the'vehicle,said cables conductor being disposed for engagement 'bythe book when thevehicle moves beyond the end of the trolley conductor. Y 4. A power-deliverydevice for electrical:

1ypropel led 'vehic'les comprising,"in combi nation, a trolley conductor, ahook electric-ale 7 1y connected to thetrolley conductor, a reeled cable conductor carried bythejvehicle, said hook beingbifurcated to engage the cable conductor to draw it* out, thereby to provide forthe supply of current to the vehicle when it has moved beyond the, end of the trolley conductor.

5. In a trolley-conductor extension for elecw to the trolley conductor, a reeled Cable'carried by a vehicle and a hemisphericalhead providedon the cable and disposed'jto be engaged by the hook to draw 'the cable out as the vehiclepassesfbeyond the trolley conductor,

7 In a trolley-conductor extension for electrically propelled vehicles, incombination, a trolley conductor, a reeled cablecon-- ductorcarried'bythevehicle and means for v automatically establishing electrical connection between the cable conductor and the trolley conductor.

8. A trolley-conductor extension for the electrically propelled Vehicles comprising,

and the cable conductor when the ehicle moves beyond the end of the trolley-conductor and for causing a drawing out of the cable. I

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of March,

DAVID C. HERSHBERGER; 

